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88RS3

The Pinnacle of Audio Engineering

Building on the legacy of the iconic Neve® 88RS, the 88RS3 represents the next evolution of our flagship analogue recording console. Retaining the sound, workflow and craftsmanship that have made the 88 Series a studio benchmark, the 88RS3 introduces enhanced bussing and integrated immersive mixing capabilities to meet the demands of modern music and post-production.

Designed for engineers who demand uncompromising audio performance, the 88RS3 delivers the exceptional bandwidth, headroom and dynamic range synonymous with Neve, making it the definitive choice for recording and mixing at the highest level.

Transformer-Balanced Preamp
48 Multitrack Analogue Busses
Powerful Dynamics Control
Four-Band Parametric EQ
In-Line Architecture
Motorized P&G Faders
Flying Fader Automation
9.1.6 Immersive Mixing & Monitoring
Versatile Touchscreen Workflow
Customisable Panel
Expanded Bussing System

The Ultimate Channel Strip 

The 88RS3 console features two modules: one dual-line input module with remote preamps and the Marinair® transformer-balanced preamp module. The Transformer balanced preamp produces up to 70dB of microphone gain, with just the right amount of Neve® character for modern recording.

The input filters use 12dB/octave for high and low pass, with continuously variable frequency ranges from 31.5Hz to 315Hz and 7.5kHz to 18kHz. The filters can be switched into the channel or monitor path independently of the EQ by pulling out the relevant frequency control knob for ultimate flexibility.

Every channel on the 88RS3 console features a powerful VCA compressor/limiter with rotary controls for release, threshold, ratio, and up to 30dB of gain make-up. Advanced controls for sidechain EQ, stereo linking and a unique auto-release with anti pumping and breathing circuitry allows the unit to operate on the source musically whilst retaining absolute control over the dynamic range.

The 88RS3 dynamics section includes a robust gate/expander with rotary controls for range, threshold, release time, and a switchable attack time and advanced controls such as EQ sidechain and invert. The hysteresis control sets a separate threshold for rising or falling signal levels, preventing noise when turning the gate on and preventing the reverb signal ‘tails’ from being prematurely gated.

The unique sound of our equalisers is the result of years of research and extensive studio experience; the 88RS3 EQ provides 4-band parametric equalisation with overlapping frequency ranges. The two mid-bands have variable controls for Q, gain and frequency. The Q also changes automatically with gain. The high and low-frequency bands feature variable gain (20dB cut and boost) and frequency controls with switchable Q and switchable peak or shelf curve.

Eight auxiliary sends with independent routing are enhanced with 16 additional digital auxes, allowing for contribution-based bussing with huge routing overhead, covering any possible studio scenario.

 

Evolved Architecture

The 88RS3 vastly expands the traditional analogue multitrack bus system, adding 64 stem busses, 32 2Track reductions, 16 additional auxes, 4 stereo 2Tracks, and 12 extra busses via the powerful stem mixer. When combined with the analogue 48-track, LCR, 8Track, Ls/RS, and 8 auxes, the 88RS3 delivers 201 total busses configurable for tracking from any console source.

The 88RS3 has two-channel strip configurations, one with an integral microphone amplifier and one with dual line-level inputs that will support an optional remote microphone amplifier. The dual line-level input option can connect to a rack of 1081R preamps, providing complete remote control from the console surface.

The 88RS3 is an in-line console with two, fully automatable, motorised faders per channel strip. The console has a sophisticated monitoring system allowing monitoring freedom in the control room. EQ & dynamics can be routed to the channel or monitor paths independently, and either the channel or monitor fader can feed the cue sends & multitrack routing independently.

Specialist external preamplifiers such as the 1081 modules can feed directly into the 88RS3 fader, bypassing the 88RS3 channel strip functions; this feature is excellent for customising specific console channels to behave and sound like a vintage board.

The 88RS3 panning system can be set to conventional stereo LCR or full-immersive mode. On-channel strip pans can be utilised for fast, standard stereo or X-axis immersive panning, and its central touchscreen surrounded by touch-sensitive encodes provides an intuitive interface for full X/Y/Z axis 3D panning. Any group of paths can be panned together with panning offsets respected, and panning macros provide a host of flexible control options for total control of the 3D audio environment.

The 88RS3 has extended solo and cut facilities with global and individual channel controls. Destructive and non-destructive soloing is available via solo-in-place, after-fader-listen, or pre-fader-listen.  Immersive stems can be soloed via the stem AFL option, allowing for complete in-context immersive soloing, and the stereo AFL solo system can blend with the main mix using the mixed solo pot, creating a highlighting effect rather than a hard solo.  Two independent cut groups are essential for controlling large mix groups with cut group automation available via the Encore automation software.

Immersive Monitoring 

The 88RS3 can handle any monitoring format, from mono, stereo, standard multichannel (5.1, 7.1) and now fully immersive three-dimensional formats.  Four independent loudspeaker outputs: 9.1.6, 7.1, and two stereo outputs, provide a total of 28 output paths, and each monitor output is configurable to any format by combining speaker outputs. Independent 0.1ms delay, DSP, and gain controls for all outputs deliver total flexibility in any studio monitoring environment.

The 88RS3 uses an intuitive object-based system, allowing for complete metadata control of all objects within the Dolby Atmos Renderer with remote attenuation controls accessible from the console surface.  This powerful system runs in tandem with the built-in immersive stem engine, allowing any combination of immersive workflows to be applied at any stage of the tracking, mixing, or mastering process.

The 88RS3 uses groundbreaking DSP dealing with over 28K digital audio crosspoints simultaneously, within its powerful monitor Engine, fed from 280 total inputs (96 small fader, 96 large fader, 64 tape returns, & 24 external paths). This system allows for any input source to be routed to any destination at maximum sample rate and bit depth (192KHz/32-bit) without any loss in channel count or latency performance. This system delivers fast, transparent results, ideal for monitoring any signal source in any format.

The central touchscreen provides a modern, intuitive interface for total control over a large, immersive audio loudspeaker array. Individual speakers or positional groups of speakers can be cut or soloed via a single hand gesture, and the stepped monitor control level combines tactility and attenuation with modern control capabilities over any monitoring system.

The 88RS3 console has eight stereo cue mix options, configurable as 16 mono cue feeds. Each cue can be routed from a flexible matrix that combines analogue and digital sources, with latency kept to an absolute theoretical minimum. This cue system combines with the most comprehensive talkback system ever devised, making the 88RS3 the most powerful recording console for elite studios.

The 88RS3 centre section metering has been designed from the ground up for ultimate accuracy and configurability, with multiple meter applications accessible from anywhere in the studio, custom user-defined metering layouts selected from any Stem, external, or bus source, are displayed in a wide variety of formats, from bargraph, PPM, or VU. Each channel meter uses a supremely accurate 48-segment LED bargraph meter that features independent gain reduction metering for the limiter/compressor and gate/expander.

Scoring & Automation

The 88RS3 stem mixer is a powerful,  routing matrix that enables simultaneous recording of 12 stem groups in up to 12-wide (7.1.4) formats. This system utilises Dante IP Core technology to give 248 input paths, flexible routing to 132 busses at 192kHz 32-bit and allows for flexible recording of multiple instrument groups across all monitoring widths, ideal for tracking complex, large sessions, and meeting the demands of the world’s elite studios.

The 88RS3 Stem Mixer provides 64 digital stem busses that can be configured into 12 12-wide (7.1.4) stems for immersive instrument group tracking, utilising a comprehensive and intuitive routing matrix that allows engineers to quickly select any source, or group of sources, to route to any of the 12 immersive stem groups. Stem outputs can be monitored and recorded into the DAW with independent output trims and 2-track reductions available for creating simultaneous stereo fold downs from immersive instrument stem groups.

The 88RS3 Centre section is arranged around a multitouch screen surrounded by eight touch-sensitive encoders. This modern design shrinks the vast scale of the 88RS3 console, allowing for most tracking, mixing and monitoring tasks to be handled by a single engineer in the ideal listening position.

Every setting, pot and fader position can be recalled through the onboard computer Encore system. Soft switches, large & small faders,  scoring panel settings,  monitor setups & stem bus routing happens automatically at the push of a button, where pot positions follow the interactive on-screen recall procedure to recall the entire console.

Both the large and small P&G faders are motorised and fully automatable via the Encore automation software. These precision controls provide fidelity and ultimate control over the console signal paths, and stereo pans can be automated via the faders for more complex mixing sessions.

The 88RS3 automation is controlled by our proprietary Encore software program, ran from an independent computer system. Encore is the most complete, standalone automation system ever created, evolving from a long line of flying fader software to provide dynamic visualisation, automation and control of all available console parameters.

88RS3 Image Gallery

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